Senior Director, Employee Benefits Product Strategy

Transamerica•Cedar Rapids, IA

About The Position

Leads the strategy, financial performance, and long-term direction of Transamerica’s Employee Benefits product portfolio. This role defines and executes a clear product strategy aligned to enterprise financial objectives, market opportunities, and customer experience expectations. Accountable for portfolio profitability, competitive positioning, and roadmap execution across multiple distribution channels through close partnership with Distribution, Actuarial, Finance, Technology, Operations, Risk, and Compliance.

Requirements

Twelve years of experience in the group employee benefits insurance market
At least seven years of leadership experience within product development, finance, actuarial, underwriting, pricing, or risk management, with demonstrated accountability for profitable growth and/or remediation of underperforming business
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Actuarial Science, or a related field; professional certifications strongly preferred
Deep expertise in group insurance products, including voluntary life and health, medical gap products, group ancillary term life, disability, and absence management services
Strong understanding of underwriting, pricing, financial modeling, capital economics, risk, and expense management
Proven ability to set strategy, translate vision into execution, and deliver measurable results in a complex, matrixed environment
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence outcomes across senior leaders and enterprise partners
Highly analytical and data-driven, with experience using metrics to inform decisions and optimize portfolio performance
Demonstrated adaptability, sound judgment, and decisiveness in a fast-paced, evolving environment

Nice To Haves

MBA in Finance, or ASA / FSA designation
Minimum of five years of direct people leadership experience
Experience leading geographically dispersed teams
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Experience with permanent life products, group term life, group supplemental health (critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident), Medicare supplement, and/or retiree health products

Responsibilities

Define and own the product vision and multi-year strategy for the Employee Benefits portfolio, aligned to enterprise financial and growth objectives.
Establish and maintain a strategic product roadmap that balances customer needs, market trends, regulatory requirements, and business priorities.
Lead competitive and market intelligence efforts to identify trends, risks, and differentiation opportunities, in collaboration with Distribution leadership.
Partner with Product Actuarial and Finance to monitor product profitability, pricing, risk, and capital impacts; drive corrective actions when performance deviates from expectations.
Develop and maintain a quarterly product scorecard measuring performance against financial, growth, risk, and customer metrics.
Drive execution of strategic initiatives through collaboration with the Enterprise PMO, Technology, and Operations.
Serve as a senior advisor and primary stakeholder interface, communicating strategy, performance, risks, and actions to executive leadership and enterprise partners.
Lead, mentor, and develop a cross-functional team including product managers, actuaries, analysts, and compliance resources.
Build and sustain a high-performing organization through talent development, succession planning, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Benefits

Compensation
Benefits Package
Pension Plan
401k Match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Tuition Reimbursement
Disability Insurance
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Employee Discounts
Career Training & Development Opportunities
Health and Work/Life Balance Benefits
Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
Adoption Assistance
Employee Assistance Program
Back-Up Care Program
PTO for Volunteer Hours
Employee Matching Gifts Program
Employee Resource Groups
Inclusion and Diversity Programs
Employee Recognition Program
Referral Bonus Programs